Criticism of Kaepernick based on team concepts

Published 3:49 pm, Saturday, September 17, 2016

An edited transcript of an interview with ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who was critical of the national anthem protest of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick:

Q: You said that (Colin) Kaepernick’s place as a backup dictates what he should or should not say. Why do you think one’s status at his place of employment should dictate whether they should exercise their First Amendment right?

A: Where I was coming from is a complete football context. In my nine years as an analyst, I have talked about how passionate I am about team dynamics. One of my core beliefs in life is building strong teams.

Part of why I feel this way is based on my time in Seattle, where I was a backup. My wife and I had been introduced to some really disturbing stuff and other social injustices: childhood slavery in our country. ... It became a passion of ours to help fight this battle of childhood slavery around the country, and I had a very big platform in Seattle and I could have leveraged being a Seattle Seahawk, being an NFL quarterback, done a lot to get that message out there, but I chose not to at the sake of not wanting to disrupt the team, and I never want to draw attention to myself and take it away from (the starting quarterback), the rest of our team and our preparation to win.

Q: So you made a personal choice?

Photo: Wade Payne, (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

Trent Dilfer has been a critic of Colin Kaepernick’s actions.

Trent Dilfer has been a critic of Colin Kaepernick’s actions.

Photo: Wade Payne, (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Criticism of Kaepernick based on team concepts

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

A: I made a personal choice to do that. And that was the context of my comments. In the same breath, I said I really admire anyone that stands for something and it costs them something. This has cost Colin deeply. I really respect the cause Colin is fighting for. I just don’t think it’s the right way to do it within the team dynamic.

Q: You said this protest has caused disruption and torn at the fabric of the team. There is no evidence to support that. With there being no evidence to support your claim that Kaepernick is causing disruption, what is your response to that?

A: I believe it’s an evolving situation, for one. I’m not going to back down from my comments, because I think there was some, if not a little, a lot of friction. ... That doesn’t mean that the leadership on this team hasn’t done an incredible job of turning that into unity as well. ... I love the fact that teams come together and use something that has been divisive, or could be more divisive, and turn it into unity. So, I think that’s admirable from the leadership of the 49ers.

Q: So you stand by the comment that this “tore at the fabric of the team”?

A: It had, yes. I stand by those comments.

Q: The question that you’re bringing up is do you bring this issue to the workplace. The Niners had a team meeting — players only — and they discussed it and it was really healthy, and the team and this conversation have benefited from what Kaepernick has done. Is that fair?

A: Yes, that’s fair. I would retract my statements if they were not true at the time I made them. I think there has been some healing that has gone on. But it doesn’t mean that it’s completely healed.